Static
by BrickSheep
Summary: Androids weren't mute. Despite that, Hank's new partner couldn't say a word.


Androids weren't _mute_.

Hank suspects that the android they assign his partner is defective in someway. It's a cruel joke played by someone who hates his guts. It was probably just a ploy to get a rise out of him, and idamn/i was it working. He had just been with this so-called iConnor/i android for a few days and the thing was already getting on his nerves.

He's getting tired with the way it follows him like a lost puppy. He insults it every chance he can get except the android can't respond so Hank doesn't know if it's effective or not. It was like talking to a brick wall except this brick wall had legs and followed on his heels.

"You gotta' bring this thing again?"

"I didn't get to pick my partner," Hank growls at a fellow cop who dared to question him about the android at his side. Hank takes one look at the android and scoffs at the indifferent face it displays. "If I did I would have picked something more human or nothing at all."

"Huh," the cop observes, "sure seems to like you though."

"Androids don't _like_ anything," Hank hisses and the cop raises his hands in surrender.

"Yeah, yeah, no need to get all worked up about it," the cop insists.

"I can do whatever the hell I want," Hank says before turning sharply and storming out of the building.

The android, _of course_ , follows after him.

Hank curses it out.

"Of all the things-..." his scowl is so deep that Hank feels it might just melt off his face, "I get some stupid android on my case because Cyberlife can't send a real _human_."

Hank turns to glance at Connor from over his shoulder.

He growls, "What, not going to say anything?"

And he knows it's unnecessarily cruel.

But he can't help it. Everytime he sees Connor he wants to punch the thing in the face. The only reason he does not do so is because of the money he'd have to send to Cyberlife. He keeps thinking like this even as he sees Connor working on the deviant cases. Hank sees the way the androids talk, learns about the peaceful protests, and then he starts _questioning_ himself.

Hank hates questioning himself.

Hank hates a lot of things, actually, but the mute android is on the top of his list.

Then they chase after two androids, Kara and Alice, and Hank feels conflicted.

Connor wants to go after them but Hank says no.

Connor listens.

That was the thing about Connor. He listens.

He's not like the others who jabber on and on. He _listens_. He listens to Hank rabble on and on while he's under the influence of alcohol. He listens to Hank when the man makes connections that Connor probably made hours ago. He becomes a half-decent partner, much to Hank's distaste, and Hank finds himself trusting the android a lot more after he saves his life by pulling him off the edge of a building.

"Why are you mute anyway?"

A sad smile is all Hank gets in reply.

That's when he gets that there's something deeper here. He doesn't think much about it but he starts to get a clue when he meets Connor's handler. The man is younger than him, black jet hair, and misty brown eyes. The man's name was Johnny or at least that was what he introduced himself as. Hank didn't think much about the boy until he sees the way he treats Connor.

He treats him like filth.

He shoves him, pushes him, and insults him.

Hank is reminded of how he treated Connor at the beginning of their partnership.

His blood _boils._

Johnny was a pale looking boy but Hank thought it'd be okay to fix up his face a little.

That's why he punches him.

Johnny tumbles backward, staring at Hank with wide owl eyes, and he has his jaw dropped in shock.

"Dude, what the hell?!"

Connor stares, just as shocked as his handler, and Hank looks at the fist he used to punch Johnny.

It was too late to back out now.

"You don't gotta' treat Connor like garbage," Hank starts, "don't you guys care about your androids?"

Johnny sneers, "I'm not sure why you care. Androids can't feel pain. They can't feel anything. They're just _machines_." Then Johnny turns to Connor and demands, "Report back to Cyberlife!"

Connor takes one last look at Hank and looks regretful.

Hank didn't like that expression on his face. Hank couldn't see anything but a kicked puppy.

"I'll be telling your superiors about this," Johnny looks smug when he says it and Connor turns to head back to Cyberlife.

Hank snarls.

Johnny sported two black eyes by the end of the day.

When Hank next sees Connor, he's a lot different, and Hank doesn't like it one bit. Something irks him about the way he behaves. It's a lot more robotic. Mechanic. He moves stiffly and he didn't have the familiar jump in his step. It was then that Hank realized Connor had never been _quieter_ than he was now. Connor's body language had always been loud and gave everyone around him a clear message of what he wanted to do.

Now Connor was different.

Again, Hank didn't like it.

Hank starts losing interest in the deviant cases assigned to them. Markus' leadership and peaceful protests might have played a part in it. Connor might have played a part in it. Hank wouldn't admit it to himself if either of them helped. Regardless, the androids had received their freedom, and Hank doesn't think twice when advocating for Connor's freedom from Cyberlife. Eventually, Cyberlife relents and releases Connor into Hank's care.

Hank didn't know how to take care of an android.

Let alone a mute one.

But he feels _relief_ when he sees Connor's face light up after waiting for Hank to pick him up from Cyberlife's gate.

"Those bastards can't push you around anymore," Hank tells him, "and you'll be safe with me. I won't let them hurt you again."

Connor smiles appreciatively

It happens a few weeks after Connor comes to live with him. Hank wakes up and hears noises of static. He thinks it's his television acting up because what else could it be? What surprises him is when he sees Connor sitting on the living room floor, opening his mouth, _trying to speak_. His efforts released nothing but a broken static. Words that could not be said.

Connor punches the floor in his frustration.

"Connor?"

Connor turns, eyes wide like a child that had been caught sneaking around.

HIs eyes flicker away. Shameful.

Connor knew Hank heard him.

"Connor," Hank sighs and he approaches the android, "I'm not going to ask what that was. I… understand you'll tell me in time."

Hank sits on the floor next to Connor.

"You don't have to speak anyway," Hank rubs at his nose and he averts his eyes to anything but Connor, "I can already tell how you're feeling."

Hank pulls up the courage to look at Connor once more.

Never had he seen such emotion on an android's face.

The tears that fall down Connor's cheeks sting Hank's heart.

"Come here."

Connor does as told. He scoots over to Hank and lets the man wrap one arm around his shoulder. Hank pulls him even closer when he has a good grip on him and Connor's head lands on Hank's shoulder.

Hank wouldn't do this, not to anyone.

That's what it made it special.


End file.
